Wire and cables are continually being improved to accommodate the data-centric architecture of machines and electronics, for example, the modern aircraft. Aircraft engines heavily influence demand for wire that can perform at high operating temperatures. Future hybrid or all electric aircraft wiring and power transmissions will further increase the demand for materials that can perform in high voltage environments, especially under a reduced pressure atmosphere. Selection of lighter weight and more efficient solutions will also be important to reduce the amount of wiring in future aircrafts and updating existing fleets.
Protecting insulation on the wiring also must be able to withstand the high voltage and high temperature conditions. The insulation materials preferably have reduced weight and volume, improved durability, high dielectric strength and high partial discharge resistance. Insulation can be made of a single material or contain several materials, such as polymers, in layers to provide dielectric insulation, corona resistance, thermal protection, EMI shielding, abrasion resistance and moisture resistance. Current insulation materials often cannot fulfill all the requirements. For instance, polyimide films are known to be good dielectric materials with high temperature capability, but are susceptible to moisture and arc tracking.
Conventional insulation approaches to handle high voltage include the use of thick layers of insulation, which add significant weight gain to the entire composite. While commercial insulations having multiple layers such as Teflon-Kapton-Teflon provide one solution, the present invention provides newly developed multilayer insulation that overcomes known disadvantages of current insulation and exhibits improved dielectric breakdown voltage and dielectric strength when compared to conventional insulation composites.